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Words: Joe Jackson Photos: Aaron Schmidt The Wild and Scenic stretch of Oregon’s Lower Rogue could well be defined as a crossover river. Ambling miles of emerald Class II punctuated with whoop-worthy Class III (and the occasional Class IV drop) make it a perfect place for beginner whitewater boaters to cross into the intermediate range. This heavenly protected stretch made famous by the likes of author Zane Grey and Meryl Streep (a la The River Wild) also toes the line between rugged and luxurious. Deep in the canyon, outfitters such as Rogue Wilderness Adventures serve rib-eye steaks to clients reclining on inflatable couches. This dichotomous stretch of river was the perfect testing ground for a quiver of four crossover kayaks. Our group of C&K staffers and regular contributors spent three long summer days on the Rogue, evaluating how each of these boats would serve as a do (almost) everything river craft. Over these 34 low-stress miles we sprinted in flatwater, dropped the crossovers’ retractable skegs to drift, peeled in and out of every eddy, and left no riffle unsurfed. In the evenings, we compared notes over delicious local craft brew from Ninkasi. After we left the Wild and Scenic section, we

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By Colin Kemp Becoming a well-rounded paddler requires learning a mix of hard skills (such as bracing, throw rope practice, strokes) and soft skills (such as reading water). All too often, however, the soft skills get left behind in today’s world of instant gratification. The stability and maneuverability of modern boats may have helped kayakers build hard skills, but the evolution of gear does not let you cheat the progression of the soft skills, which take time and practice. Learning to read water is just like learning to speak a new language. Not only do you need to be able to say the words, but also you need to understand what the other person is saying to have a good conversation. If you make time to develop the three ‘Ps’ of reading water, you will continue to build your vocabulary and be a better boater for it. Practice! You will never learn to read water if you don’t stop, get out of your boat, and scout a rapid. Even if it is a rapid you’ve run dozens of times before but have never scouted, you may be amazed by what you find. Hone the soft skill of anticipating how various currents

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Day trips are paddling gateways. They mark the transition from casual after work paddles to the soul altering journeys of discovery that make sea kayaking, canoeing, and whitewater lifelong pursuits. The skills you learn from day tripping—gear selection, navigation, group dynamics and more complex paddle strokes to handle your craft in varying conditions—will serve you well in the future, and pave the way to longer overnight and multiday trips. Before you dive into this list of our favorite day trip destinations, heed this warning: You are about to take the first step toward becoming hopelessly addicted to paddling. Tallahassee, Fla. Floating Florida Santa Cruz, Calif. California Wild Asheville, N.C. Easy Eastern Whitewater Hessel, Mich. Sea Kayaking an Inland Sea Algonquin Park, Ontario The Heart of Canoe Country

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BY JIM BAIRD After the last portage on the Adlatok, we began our 14-mile ocean paddle to Hopedale, flanked by the rugged, treeless terrain of the Labrador coast. When we felt wind on the back of our necks, we quickly rigged up sails. Ted came up with a sail system earlier in the trip and we’d used it successfully several times. The beauty of this sail rig is that it can be set up and taken down very quickly. No one needs to hold the sail or operate it, meaning both people can paddle or fish. Here’s how it’s done: Paddles Up: Wedge a paddle on either side of the canoe between your carrying yoke and gear. Use rope or carabiner clips to further secure them if need be. You can also place the paddles in the bow in front of the carrying handle. Bag It: Slip a thick grade carpenter’s garbage bag over the two paddles. Sail on, sail on: This setup works best with the wind at your back. The beauty of this sail rig is that it can be set up and taken down very quickly. No one needs to hold the sail or operate it, meaning both

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How do you follow up 2,400 miles of “pure adventure” paddling the length of the Mississippi River? If you’re Denver-based adventurer Rich Brand, you move on to saltwater, and set out to sea kayak the entire west coast of the United States. Brand is the man behind Captured Heartbeats, movement that seeks to “inspire others to adventure while photographing the people, culture and environment.” After traveling and photographing much of North America by Jeep and motorcycle, he made his first kayak journey in 2014—a Mississippi source to sea. With the Ol’ Muddy behind him, Brand launched his sea kayak in Seattle in early May. We caught up with Brand on the Oregon coast, midway through his 1,000-mile journey to San Diego. CanoeKayak.com: What was the impetus for Captured Heartbeats? Rich Brand: It’s more than just traveling. It’s the ability to meet and be part of people’s lives. I have been welcomed by so many different lives and lifestyles. I interpret this as being able to see and experience the heartbeats of their lives. When the opportunity allows, I like to capture those through imagery. When did you get into paddling? I see up until the Mississippi, most of your travels were motorized.

U.S. Slalom Team Set for London

Eyes on the Target: Casey Eichfeld takes aim at an Olympic spot. Photo by Jamie McEwan

By Jamie McEwan

Athletes from 38 countries came together to race on a horseshoe-shaped artificial course that sits beside Cardiff Bay. The World Cup program had to be shortened by a day when Friday’s competitions were canceled due to high winds and rain. On Saturday, with the slalom poles dancing in a wind left over from the storm, all athletes in the C-1 Men and K-1 Men classes moved directly to the semifinals.

In Men’s kayak, the semifinal was the deciding race. So, two months after the U.S. trials, it all came down to a single 90-second run down the windy course. Scott Parsons secured his third Olympic appearance by placing 11th, less than a tenth of a second from making the final. Parsons’ consistency throughout the Trials process has been impressive; he has won at each and every step of the way. Jim Wade had an excellent run, but his one penalty was enough, in this very tight class, to push him back into 18th. A couple of costly errors placed Brett Heyl into 29th. Sebastian Schubert of Germany won the event.

The process in C-1 Men was not so simple. For some time it seemed that the top two American C-1’s, Casey Eichfeld and Benn Fraker, had both made the final, but a penalty correction moved Fraker back one place, into 11th. His time was good, but his result was marred by four added penalty seconds. The third American C-1, Zach Lokken, placed 28th with a promisingly fast but penalty-ridden run.

It was still not over until the finals were completed, as Casey Eichfeld, who had placed 7th in the semifinals, had to place 8th or better in the ten-boat final to earn enough points to make up his deficit from the Trials. He paddled what he described as a “somewhat cautious” run to place 6th. The winner was the home-country favorite David Florence.

An interesting footnote to the C-1 race: this was also the selection race for the Slovakian C-1’s, which pitted reigning Olympic champion Michal Martikan against last year’s World Silver Medalist, Matej Benus. Martikan secured his Olympic return by defeating Benus by less than one second. What did they place? Fifteenth and sixteenth. That’s right, folks, the legendary Martikan won the Slovakian Olympic spot with a result that would not have been nearly good enough to win selection for the U.S.

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2012 Olympian Caroline Queen. Photo by Jamie McEwan

In the Women’s Kayak class, in which Ashley Nee and Caroline Queen were tied in points, neither athlete progressed to the semifinals, allowing Queen to take the spot on the basis of her tie-breaking qualification of the Olympic spot last fall in Bratislava. Both athletes paddled well most of the time, but could not put together a mistake-free run. Queen placed 35th, Nee 37th. Emily Jackson, who paddled the water well but had trouble with the poles, was 43rd. Although obviously relieved to make the team, Queen also expressed dissatisfaction, saying, “That wasn’t the way I wanted to make it.” The petite Maialen Chourraut from Spain went on to win the event.

In Men’s C-2, all three U.S. competitors qualified into the 20-boat semifinal, with the veterans Dave Hepp and Scott McCleskey paddling like their old selves and placing an impressive 11th in the heats. But in the semifinals, the Trials winners, Jeff Larimer and Eric Hurd, cemented their selection lead by qualifying into the finals, where they placed 9th. Like Parsons, the Larimer and Hurd team won at each step in the selection process. Casey Eichfeld shook off his fatigue from his C-1 race the day before and, with partner Devin McEwan, posted an excellent time, but six penalty seconds pushed them back into 13th place. Hepp and McCleskey had trouble with some of the tight moves and placed 18th. C-1 winner David Florence earned his second gold medal of the weekend by teaming up with Richard Hounslow to win the C-2 event for Great Britain.

Larimer and Hurd are the 2012 U.S. Olympic C-2. Photo by Jamie McEwan

In the non-Olympic C-1W class, U.S. racer Micki Reeves placed eighth, and plans to go on to race in the next two World Cup events. The winner was Rosalyn Lawrence of Australia.

It was an emotional weekend. “I cried like a baby,” reported Casey Eichfeld. Not all tears, of course, were tears of joy. Then there was the understated approach. “I’ve had better days,” said Benn Fraker with a crooked smile.

The newly named U.S. Olympic team members, most of whom have spent more time traveling this year than living at home, will now take a well-earned break. “I’m looking forward to the routine of daily home life,” said Scott Parsons. Then, before the end of the month, back to London for more training on the Olympic course. The slalom races will take place July 29th to August 2nd.